Casanova’s Big Night (1954)
I never watched a Bob Hope movie until now. While I get the appeal, I'm also feeling sufficiently satisfied watching this particular movie once. Like, I got the gist.
I’m good now.
Not to say it isn’t entertaining! Vincent Price makes a two-scene cameo in this irreverent comedy and then dips out. So… that’s fun.
If you like or, like me, you are curious about Bob Hope’s style of comedy, it’s worth the wild ride. He portrays Pippo, a tailor who poses as Casanova to woo a woman — then gets roped into posing as the infamous lover to dupe an Italian family! It gets weirdly complicated, but whatever. Roll with it. Most of it is set in Venice, which is entertaining alone! Plus, you get gondola antics.
And bonus points! You get the captivating Basil Rathbone playing Lucio, his valet who knows the OG Casanova very well. He assists Pippo in the ruse of pretending to be the genuine Casanova (who dipped out pretty early in the film and never returns…?).
So… where does John Carradine fit in all of this? He’s an advisor to a Venetian noble, who is seeking to prove that Pippo is indeed a fraud. He knows it, Pippo knows, we know it; and yet it’s fun watching the process. Of course, he fails. Repeatedly. And with humorous antics on account of Hope’s zany antics. May I present to you the silliness of this fencing scene as evidence:
Rewatch Factor: Give this a few upticks on the rewatch scale if you like silly, slapstick humor with Bob Hope cross-dressing at some point to pose as a hefty German countess. If that’s not your schtick, a one-and-done may be proper
(gif courtesy of nitratediva)
The Carradine Factor: Dear lord, he is rolling those Rs like he plans to break them. And he does it all for the sake of some Italian authenticity. It’s a small, functional role. Nothing too stand-out, nothing truly worth noting. (Aside from those trilling Rs. 🫨)
